DUBAI: The first ever specialized diabetes hospital in Pakistan has been inaugurated in Islamabad on Friday.
The Diabetes Center (TDC) — which has 50 medical and administrative staff, and can cater to 700 patients daily — was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Its cost was mainly covered by zakat and donations from Pakistani expats in the Gulf.
Covering 72,000 square feet, the TDC has 16 clinics and is the first paperless hospital in the country.
Its story began five years ago in Abu Dhabi, where diabetologist Dr. Asjad Hameed provided free medical advice and support to blue-collar workers, who were often unaware of the disease.
“Every evening, taxi drivers and other workers used to come and see me to discuss their health issues. I realized most of them were suffering from diabetes, and they had no idea. Hence this was kind of a wakeup call for me,” said Hameed, TDC founder and director.
“I realized that not just in my country but across South Asia, we need a specialized diabetes hospital that can provide world-class treatment, including to those who can’t afford it,” he added.
“Today, with the support of my friends in the UAE, we’re hours away from inaugurating the hospital.”
More than 10 friends formed a team to realize the project. “We expatriates always wanted to do something for our country, and often, despite our will, we never got the opportunity. When Dr. Hameed told me about the TDC, I didn’t give it a second thought and said, ‘your wish is my command’,” said Ehtesham Uddin, an engineer working in Abu Dhabi.
For the next five years, “every Friday morning we’d have a breakfast meeting at Dr. Hameed’s house,” said Uddin, a TDC board member.
“Every alternate weekend, two of us would visit the site in Pakistan and supervise construction.”
Hameed said: “Initially, me and my friends put all our savings into the project, but considering the size and ambition, we needed support.
He added: “We feel so proud that the Pakistani community, especially in the Gulf, came forward and supported us in a way we never imagined. We’re extremely thankful to them.”
He and his team have been running a mobile clinic at the hospital site for more than two years, serving hundreds of poor patients daily. A quarter of Pakistan’s adult population is diabetic.
The first ever charity, diabetes hospital opens in Islamabad
The first ever charity, diabetes hospital opens in Islamabad
- The non-profit hospital will provide medical services for free to needy people
- Its cost was mainly covered by donations and zakat from Pakistani expats in the Gulf
Lufthansa adds more flights to Asia, Africa as Middle East war reshapes air travel
- Airlines across Europe have been redirecting capacity after suspending services in the Middle East
- Lufthansa said the move also helps meet demand on long-haul routes that Middle Eastern carriers cannot currently serve
LONDON: Lufthansa said on Friday it was shifting capacity from 10 canceled Middle Eastern destinations to routes such as Singapore and Bangkok as it contends with disruption from the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Airlines across Europe, including budget carrier Wizz Air , have been redirecting capacity after suspending services in the Middle East.
Lufthansa said the move also helps meet demand on long-haul routes that Middle Eastern carriers cannot currently serve.
Airline stocks have slumped this week as US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran — and retaliatory strikes by Iran across the Middle East — have disrupted long-haul flights and sent oil prices soaring.
“The war in the Middle East proves once again how exposed air traffic is and how vulnerable it remains,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said in a statement. He added the outlook was uncertain, particularly for jet fuel costs.
The schedule changes came as the German group reported better-than-expected 2025 results, saying stricter financial management and fleet renewal had helped contain costs and lift profits. Its shares rose as much as 4 percent, before reversing to trade down 1.2 percent at 1246 GMT.
The company said demand on routes to and from Asia and Africa had risen strongly since the conflict began on Saturday, and it would stick with its focus on expanding long-haul services. Spohr said new flights to Asia would launch in days.
Lufthansa did say how many services it had canceled because of the conflict.
While carriers face costs for rescheduling and rerouting, the biggest impact for those outside the Middle East is expected from surging fuel prices. Brent crude futures have jumped more than 20 percent this week.
Spohr said Lufthansa was well hedged in the short term. The group hedges fuel up to 24 months ahead and was 85 percent hedged as of December 31, according to its annual report.
RESILIENCE
European carriers, including Lufthansa, benefited from slightly lower fuel bills in 2025. Lufthansa’s fuel bill fell 7 percent, helping support earnings as passenger demand stayed firm.
“Last year we were able to significantly increase the Group’s operating profit and achieved the highest revenue in our history. Our results demonstrate the resilience and stability of the Group,” Spohr said.
Lufthansa reported an adjusted operating profit of 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion), compared with 1.9 billion euros forecast in a company-compiled analyst poll and up from 1.6 billion euros in 2024. The group also posted an operating margin of 4.9 percent, up from 4.4 percent a year earlier.
Lufthansa aims to lift operating margins to 8 percent-10 percent between 2028 and 2030 from 4.4 percent in 2024, but strikes by workers, including the most recent on February 12, have made it harder to boost profitability.
Bernstein analyst Alex Irving said ongoing weakness in the passenger airline segment persisted, but that strong performances in Cargo and Lufthansa Technik helped lift profits.
The carrier said the outlook for 2026 was unclear due to geopolitical uncertainty. It projected capacity growth of 4 percent, alongside increased revenue and profit margin.
